Angels Are Well-Armed in Victory

As a group of reporters surrounded Jarrod Washburn, Kevin Appier leaned toward the circle and needled his teammate.

“If you didn’t have so many losses,” Appier said, “you might be going to the All-Star Game.”

Appier grinned, and Washburn laughed. Washburn hasn’t lost in 2 1/2 months.

Washburn and Troy Percival teamed on a four-hit shutout Wednesday, with Washburn extending his win streak to nine games in a 1-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles before 17,477 at Edison Field. Center fielder Darin Erstad preserved the shutout with a marvelous defensive play in the fifth inning, then drove in the winning run in the eighth inning, ending the Angels’ scoreless streak at 22 innings.

Washburn (9-2) has the longest current win streak in the major leagues and the best winning percentage of any American League starting pitcher not named Pedro Martinez. He has not lost since April 13, and his earned-run average of 3.21 ranks among the league’s top 10.

When the AL All-Star team was announced Sunday, the Angels were disappointed that outfielder Garret Anderson was their lone selection.

When Martinez turned down his invitation, the Angels were unhappy that New York Yankee Manager Joe Torre replaced Martinez with the seventh Boston player so honored, closer Ugueth Urbina. The Yankees have six players on the team. Washburn was bypassed again.

“I was very surprised he didn’t make it,” Erstad said.

“I’m not the only guy in here that was deserving that didn’t get picked,” Washburn said.

“I don’t think it was right that we only got one guy picked, with as well as we’ve played and as many guys as we have doing well.... Hopefully, we’ll keep winning and next year [Angel Manager Mike] Scioscia gets to pick ‘em.”

For the first seven innings, Washburn matched zeroes with Baltimore’s Scott Erickson, an Angel nemesis for all these years. Erickson lost for just the second time in 10 starts in Anaheim, though he deserved better. He pitched a complete game and gave up four hits, all singles.

Bengie Molina singled to start the eighth inning, and Jose Nieves ran for him. Nieves took second on a sacrifice bunt and third on a ground out.

Erstad then took what will not be remembered as one of the finest swings of his career, poking a dribbler down the third-base line. Baltimore third baseman Tony Batista charged and backhanded the ball. But, as Batista tried to make an off-balance throw, the ball slipped out of his hand, and he ended up spiking the ball. Erstad reached first on the infield single, with Nieves scoring.

“I was just in scratch-and-claw mode,” Erstad said.

And, for all of Washburn’s heroics, Erstad was the man who preserved the shutout in the fifth inning.

With one out, the Orioles had Marty Cordova at third base and Jose Leon at second.

Mike Bordick flied to center field, definitely deep enough to allow Cordova to score from third. So Erstad ignored Cordova, realizing that he had a chance to throw Leon out at third.

Third baseman Troy Glaus did his best to fake out Leon, pretending there would be no play there.

Erstad approached the ball from behind, got a running start, made the catch and threw a strike to Glaus, who tagged out Leon to complete the double play.

Next thing you knew, Molina, the Angel catcher, was jumping for joy at home plate. Cordova tagged from third base, but a sore right foot prevented him from running at full speed toward home. And so the run did not count, because umpires ruled that the Angels had completed the double play before Cordova had touched home plate.

Washburn never did give up a run, scattering three hits over eight innings and making 101 pitches before giving the ball to Percival for the ninth. Percival got the save, and Washburn will await another chance for his first major league shutout.